HOW LONG DOES BRANDING TAKE?

Written By David Walker

Launching or refreshing your brand is exciting - but it also raises a big question: how long does branding take? Whether you’re a start-up shaping your identity from scratch or an established business thinking about a brand refresh, having a clear idea of how long branding takes will help you manage expectations and keeps things moving smoothly.

In this post, I’ll walk you through the typical stages of building a brand identity - complete with timeframes, real-world insights, and tips to keep projects on track. By the end, you'll understand what influences those timelines and be equipped to plan your brand build or rebrand with confidence.

 

DISCOVERY & STRATEGY

First things first: uncovering what makes your brand unique. This foundational stage is crucial to a successful project and involves:

  • Stakeholder chats and team workshops

  • Market and competitor research

  • Brand positioning, tone of voice, and core values

How long does brand discovery & strategy take? For most UK clients, this early phase typically spans 1-3 weeks. Smaller projects may wrap up in a week; larger or more complex brands may require more time for alignment and research. A clear, comprehensive discovery phase means fewer delays later on, so it’s best not to rush it.

 

NAMING & MESSAGING

With the strategy in place, focus shifts to your verbal identity: name, bylines, key messages. This stage includes:

  • Brainstorming name options (if you’re starting from scratch) and running checks

  • Crafting a concise value proposition

  • Drafting taglines or messaging pillars

For fresh brand builds, this can take 1-2 weeks. If you’re considering a rebrand and already have an existing name or messaging framework, this could be much faster - perhaps just a few days. Still, stakeholder feedback rounds can stretch it, especially in larger organisations.

 

CONCEPTS & DESIGN

Here’s where you see your brand START to come to life - the exciting part! Visual identity design includes:

  • Logos (primary, variations, responsive versions)

  • Colour palette, typography, and brand elements

  • Moodboards or sample visual direction

  • Creating application mockups such as stationery, packaging or digital headers

Expect this phase to run 3-6 weeks. It’s an iterative process where I’ll create moodboards and concepts, explain these choices, you provide feedback and choose a headline concept to develop further, at which point the visual identity starts to get built out. Plenty of back-and-forth helps, but a defined number of review rounds helps keep the branding timeline on track.

For a rebrand, this may be shorter - if you’re refreshing existing elements rather than designing entirely from scratch, the process can be 2-3 weeks.

 

GUIDELINES & DELIVERABLES

Once the design is approved, you’ll need the tools to use it effectively - this means brand guidelines and a brand assets folder:

  • Brand guidelines: how to use your logos, tone of voice, colour usage, do’s and don’ts (and lots more)

  • Brand assets folder: vector logos, web-optimised formats, font files etc. All neatly packaged up so it’s easy for you to find them.

Typically, producing full guidelines and exports takes another 1–2 weeks. Thorough documentation ensures consistency across teams and media. If you're rebranding, with many assets already in place, this could shrink to 5–7 days.

 

IMPLEMENTATION & LAUNCH

Planning your brand launch or relaunch may involve:

  • Preparing website or social media updates and press releases.

  • Creating branded materials (stationery, signage, campaign collateral)

  • Internal rollout (staff training, stakeholder announcements)

  • Soft launches or phased rollouts

Depending on the scale, expect 1-2 weeks for a full implementation. If you're refreshing existing materials, this may be under a week instead. Timing can also depend on print schedules, developers, or campaigns you have running - so if you have a strict deadline, allow for a week or two as a buffer.

 

This reflects a realistic branding timeline, from discovery to launch.

  • How long does a full brand design from scratch take? Anywhere from one and half to three months for a fully-built brand.

  • How long does a rebrand take? Usually between 4-8 weeks, depending on scope and scale.

FACTORS THAT CAN CHANGE THIS

Several factors can affect how long your rebrand takes, including:

  • Speed of feedback and number of review rounds

  • Complexity of deliverables (e.g. extra collateral, messaging layers)

  • Legal checks (e.g. naming or trademark checks)

  • Your availability and internal approvals

  • Design scope - quick refresh versus full redesign

Pro tip: set clear deadlines, ring fence time with stakeholders to define feedback, and establish all deliverables clearly and early on to keep the project moving to time.

At WDCO, I’ve honed a process that balances quality, collaboration, and timeliness - helping brands launch with confidence. Want help launching or relaunching your brand? Get in touch, and let’s build your brand together.

 
 
David Walker https://walkerdesign.co
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